The role of propeptide in the refolding of human group IB phospholipase A2

Atg15 is a vacuolar phospholipase that disintegrates organelle membranes

Atg15 (autophagy-related 15) is a vacuolar phospholipase essential for the degradation of cytoplasm-to-vacuole targeting (Cvt) bodies and autophagic bodies, hereinafter referred to as intravacuolar/intralysosomal autophagic compartments (IACs), but it remains unknown if Atg15 directly disrupts IAC membranes. Here, we show that the recombinant Chaetomium thermophilum Atg15 lipase domain (CtAtg15(73-475)) possesses phospholipase activity. The activity of CtAtg15(73-475) was markedly elevated by limited digestion. We inserted the human rhinovirus 3C protease recognition sequence and found that cleavage between S159 and V160 was important to activate CtAtg15(73-475). Our molecular dynamics simulation suggested that the cleavage facilitated conformational change around the active center of CtAtg15, resulting in an exposed state. We confirmed that CtAtg15 could disintegrate S. cerevisiae IAC in vivo. Further, both mitochondria and IAC of S. cerevisiae were disintegrated by CtAtg15. This study suggests Atg15 plays a role in disrupting any organelle membranes delivered to vacuoles by autophagy.

Structural insight into the activation mechanism of human pancreatic prophospholipase A2

Pancreatic phospholipase A2 (phospholipase A2 group 1B, G1B) belongs to the superfamily of secreted phospholipase A2 (PLA2) enzymes. G1B has been proposed to be a potential target for diseases such as hypertension, obesity, and diabetes. Human pancreatic prophospholipase A2 (pro-hG1B) is activated by cleavage of the first seven-residue propeptide (phospholipase A2 propeptide, PROP). However, questions still remain on the mode of action for pro-hG1B. In this work, we expressed pro-hG1B in Pichia pastoris and determined the crystal structure at 1.55-A resolution. The x-ray structure demonstrates that pro-hG1B forms a trimer. In addition, PROP occupies the catalytic cavity and can be self-cleaved at 37 degrees C. A new membrane-bound surface and activation mechanism are proposed based on the trimeric model of pro-hG1B. We also propose a new autoproteolytic mechanism for pro-hG1B by the reaction triad Asp49-Arg0-Ser(-2) that is similar to the serine protease catalytic triad.